


Out of the fire

by ResidentAnchor



Category: Sander Sides, Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF) - Fandom
Genre: Fantasy AU, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Made it a two-shot do to popular demand, marriage proposals, prince AU, they so cute though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-14 00:27:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14124174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResidentAnchor/pseuds/ResidentAnchor
Summary: Prince Virgil always stayed in line and did as he was told until his father had arranged his marriage behind his back. He didn't expect a stranger to come to his help, he wasn't even sure why he was asking...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ... and into the frying pan.
> 
> This is dedicated to my awesome readers I've had. <3

For fear of being a disappointment, Prince Virgil always tried his best at every task his father gave him. They never quite saw eye-to-eye but Virgil always feared he was seen as a disappointment and tried every step of the way to prove his father wrong.

He was obedient and never really stepped out of line. Lessons were boring and sword fighting made him anxious as he didn't want to hurt anyone, especially himself, but the young prince threw himself into everything, determined to get it right. He stayed awake many nights studying and spend many days practicing techniques he could never get quite right, leaving the poor prince in a constant state of exhaustion. However vigilant he may be, he never seemed to live up to his father's expectations. He always reacted a little too slow, his plans and ideas weren't polished enough, his form was always slightly off...

He had been told his whole life it was because his father wanted him to be better than he was so Virgil could lead better than he ever had. Virgil just saw it as an excuse to be disappointed in his only son. He spent any time he had to himself alone when he could. However, more and more recently his father dragged him out of his room and held extravagant balls, forcing his son to make appearances and be social. They made Virgil anxious and uncomfortable. Strangers only wanted to talk about how great he was, something he didn't believe personally. They wanted to be near him because of his social status and didn't care for his hobbies.

Prince Virgil found solace in a few things. Walks in the garden talking to the gardener were always nice. He would love to get dirty and help but that was beneath the prince. Painting was another, one more accepted by his father, but he did it for relaxation and every time he finished a piece, his father always found a way to take it and hang it on some wall to brag about to visitors. Any time Virgil found something new, his father found ways to ruin it for him. The only person who ever understood was Prince Patton of a neighboring kingdom, the most gentle soul Virgil had ever met and childhood friend.

He spotted him across the hall talking to some noble, smiling and laughing as he always did. Virgil politely excused himself and made his way over, greeting others as he passed and excusing himself quickly. His father liked Patton enough but saw the kingdom he was to inherit as a weaker one, but an allied force nonetheless. Patton's people loved him and they kept out of conflict. Others saw it as a weakness but Virgil saw it as a strength. 

"Ah, Prince Virgil!" Patton perked up and smiled. "Well met! I see your father has thrown another extravagant gathering!"

"Yes, they seem to be a personal new favorite pastime of his, unfortunately."

Patton's smile fell a bit and he leaned in. "You do know what that means, right Virgil?"

Virgil frowned and watched Patton's concerned face carefully before shaking his head. "Is everything alright, Pat?"

Patton stood up straight and his eyes flickered over Virgil's shoulders quickly. "Perfectly well! I must thank you for inviting me once more!"

Before Virgil could respond, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He glanced over and saw his father smiling at Patton. "Of course! You are a longtime friend and I could never think of leaving you out of such an important event!"

"What important event is going on, father?" Virgil asked with a tone of concern. Instead of answering, his father turned back to Patton and wished him farewell, tugging Virgil along with him. Only a few feet away, Virgil suddenly felt an uneasy and heavy feeling start to settle in his chest. "Is there something you wish to discuss, father?"

The king wordlessly led Virgil out of the party and back to a private room before removing his hand. He kept walking before stopping a few feet away, leaving Virgil confused. "You have been a great son, Virgil. Determined, obedient, wise..." He peered over his shoulder and glanced at Virgil. "You've been of age for a while now, and I've respected your wishes to leave your marriage be until the time was right." He turned completely and faced Virgil head on. "That time is now, I have chosen your suitor."

Virgil froze as the heavy feeling fell and his throat closed up. "W-what?"

"She's from a neighboring kingdom and has just turned of age, she will make a beautiful queen for you."

It took a few moments to realize he was completely tense and let his shoulders drop. "You chose me a wife without consulting me?"

"Why would I have needed your input? This will increase the peace as well as the trade-"

"It's my marriage, you just went and decided without even asking?!" A thought came to the young prince. "These parties were just to meet up and choose a suitor for me, weren't they?"

"Does it matter? You will meet and we will announce your betrothal. The wedding shall take place in a few months." The king walked passed Virgil to enter the party once more. "Please do enjoy yourself, I will give you one week before we make the announcement."

\---

Patton couldn't apologize enough. He had figured it out and wanted to warn Virgil, but had done so too late. He carefully brought the young prince to the side of the room away from the other guests and tried to calm him down.

"What if I replace myself with someone else?"

"That's not a very good idea, Virgil."

"What if I replace the princess with-"

"That is an even WORSE idea Virgil!"

"What am I going to do?" He looked up at Patton, panicking. "I can't marry some random person, let alone a girl. I was hoping he'd talk to me about this so I could tell him, at least!"

"You probably still can! He seems very accepting of it, he passed that law against discrimination of it, maybe he can find you a nice prince?"

Virgil sighed and looked up at Patton. "He'd make me marry you, and you're hopelessly in love with that Prince neighboring your territory. I can't do that to you."

Patton became flush at the mention of it and ducked his head down. "Virge!"

"Right, sorry. Totally not crushing on Prince Roman, got it." He smirked a bit before it fell off his face. "I don't know what to do, Pat..."

"Maybe there's someone who can help?" Patton shrugged, not sure of his suggestion. "There's got to be something you can do."

Virgil looked out into the ballroom and sighed. "Perhaps I just accept my fate. Who would help a prince like me?"

 

Patton threw a few non-threatening threats at the prince, daring to speak ill of himself once more or face his wrath Virgil wasn't quite sure he even had. He read through books and scrolls of laws for a few days with no hope. Unless there was an illegitimate child older than him, and he was sure there was not, Virgil was next in line and nothing can stop that. Unless someone asked for Virgil's hand and held greater power and a better offer, Virgil was going to be married to the princess his father chose. Even if someone did, what were the odds it was someone he would be happier with?

Virgil placed all the reading materials back, not wanting word to get around that he had been looking for loopholes. If anyone had asked, he would lie and they would believe him because the young prince had been too afraid to step out of line before.

As he trudged back to his room, an idea came to him. It was a bad one, surely a stupid idea but his tired muddled mind clung to it as his last piece of hope.

Virgil wrote a letter and closed it with his seal. He had placed a plain silver ring inside, a sign of good faith between kingdoms, and marked the front. In the morning, he'd send the letter off in secret and forget all about it. 

\---

Months had passed and Virgil had met his soon-to-be queen. She was nice and had a fire lit in her that kept her from sitting still, which simply made Virgil dizzy. He watched her dictate the wedding plans, Virgil barely tossing in a few ideas and quickly learning to agree with whatever she had chosen. 

Patton had taken Virgil's pleading advice and went off to see his prince and share his feelings, whatever the outcome may be. Virgil wished Patton the best of luck on winning over his prince before turning and diving into his wedding plans.

He stood off on the side and zoned out, going through the motions but not truly listening. He would apologize for his lack of sleep and be quickly forgiven as the bags under his eyes only grew with the days. Virgil wished he would be cursed with a sleeping spell just to miss the wedding altogether, ignoring the fact that it could not go on without him.

The doors burst open and grabbed everyone's attention as a frazzled messenger made his way in, frantically heading towards the king. He slowed down and apologized a dozen times before holding up the letter he held. Virgil watched his father carefully grab the letter and flip it over, freezing completely for a moment. The silence grew heavy and he glanced around the room.

"The plans for this afternoon have been canceled." The king loudly announced. This shook Virgil awake enough that he caught his father's look and nodded, quickly apologizing and excusing himself. 

Virgil stood patiently as he watched his father pace, the letter still in his hand unopened. He stopped and watched Virgil, clearly uneasy. "What is the matter, father?"

The king sighed and held up the letter, showing the wax seal that kept it closed. "Our most powerful neighbors have sent us a letter." Virgil was shocked, but more importantly, panicking at the news. "We have been on loosely formal terms and they have not met with us in years. Why they would send us a letter now is troubling."

"I-is it war? Have we angered them in some way?"

The kingdom to the north was powerful, the strongest militia around. They kept mostly to themselves but whenever they asked for something, they received it. Everyone was too afraid to turn them down for fear of the consequences. Their king was known to be cold and straightforward.

The king carefully flipped the letter over and tore the seal. "The council will have to forgive me for opening this without them." If the situation wasn't so dire, Virgil would have laughed. Neither he nor his father much enjoyed the council. He slid the letter out and Virgil watched his eyes quickly glaze over the contents, growing more confused as he went on. In the end, he looked up at the prince and extended the letter out. "They wish to meet with you about your marriage."

Virgil reached out and grabbed the letter, watching it shake with his hand. He reread it twice before looking back up at his father. "Why?"

"I do not know, but we must be prepared. They have not visited in your lifetime, we must make a good impression."

All wedding planning was completely halted, which Virgil was grateful for. Dealing with the planning and the meeting was too much for him to be able to deal with.

The day the carriages and horses arrived, Virgil couldn't keep his sweaty hands from shaking. He was afraid if he spoke, his voice would give out, or worse.

He watched as some heavily armed guard marched in and took their place as if it was their home. One stepped forward and spoke loudly, announcing the arrival of their prince, which Virgil barely heard.

Their prince had to be around Virgil's age and stood up tall and proud. Not a hair was out of place on his head and his eyes took everything in without a second thought before they finally landed on his. Virgil tried not tensing up or being intimidated by the look, but he was sure he had failed undoubtedly.

"Prince Logan, what an honor it is to finally meet you."

"Yes, quite. It has been some time since our kingdoms had met and I felt this was the most appropriate time."

Prince Logan looked down at Virgil before adjusting the collar of his tunic. "You must be Prince Virgil."

Virgil was proud to say he handled the situation better than he thought he would have. He did not jump nor did he stutter as he bowed and greeted Logan to his kingdom. "It is an honor, I humbly welcome you into our home."

A hand was on Virgil's shoulder while he was still bowing, starting down at an expensive and slightly dirty pair of boot. "Arise, prince." Virgil slowly glanced up and started pulling out of his bow. Logan shot out a hand and lightly grabbed his chin, causing him to stand up straight and tall. The touch was light but firm. He held it close but turned it from side to side, inspecting the prince in front of him. Virgil tried keeping eye contact until Logan pulled his chin up and let go, causing Virgil to catch himself from stumbling backward. Prince Logan then circled Virgil slowly, taking him in as his hands clasped behind his back.

"Young prince, I do not wish to be rude, but do you mind explaining what you are doing with my son?"

"One moment, your majesty." Logan let out in a low voice, eyes never leaving Virgil's form. He wanted to shift under his gaze but years of lessons on etiquette refused to let him. Logan suddenly stopped in front of Virgil and they stared each other down, Virgil not backing down from the intense stare. "Yes, you will do nicely."

"I beg your pardon?" Virgil muttered out, not caring how rude it seemed.

Logan turned to the king and lifted his head. "I will be taking your son's hand in marriage. I apologize for any issues this may cause. Would you show me to my room?"

Virgil looked over at his father, speechless and not sure what to do. "I am sorry, it must be my old ears. You wish for my son's hand?"

"I understand he had a previous engagement and I do apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. My room, if you'd please."

\---

Virgil left the meeting that evening with the council and his father. They immediately broke off his previous engagement and handed him off to Prince Logan without another thought. Virgil didn't even go to his room, heading for the guest wing and knocking on the door he knew was occupied. 

It swung open and Logan stood uninterested, an open book in his hand. He glanced away and saw his guest, quickly closing it. "Prince Virgil, please. Do come in."

Virgil marched into the room and waited for the door to close before spinning around. "What are you planning?"

"I do not understand."

Virgil grew tense and felt his face heat up. "The council has accepted your proposal and has broken off my previous one with no issues."

"Excellent, then we must get to work."

Virgil watched as Logan placed his book down and reached into a bag he had on his bed. "Work?"

"We have a wedding to plan, do we not?"

"What, that's..." Virgil could only imagine how red his face had become. "What is your deal?"

"My deal?" Logan asked, looking up from his bag. "I needed to find a partner to settle with and you needed out of your previous 'deal'." He lifted an old and slightly tattered piece of parchment from his bag. "Is that not why you sent me this letter?"

Virgil had to catch himself from stumbling, looking at the letter he had forgotten he sent months ago. "I asked for ideas to escape my marriage!"

"Is that not what I did? You no longer are betrothed to the young princess... I'm sorry, what was her name?"

"How is this any better?"

Logan marched around the bed and walked straight towards Virgil. He slowly reached up and grabbed Virgil's face with one hand, holding up the letter with the other. "I must say, I had never expected such a letter to appear, you piqued my interest. I had to take a look at the man who would turn to a stranger for help."

"I-I c-couldn't ask someone who w-would tell my father..." Virgil whispered back. 

"I heard a lot about you. Prince Patton and Prince Roman had mostly nice things to say." Virgil froze at the mention of his friends. "You seem rather intelligent, Virgil." Logan leaned in a bit closer. "Very pleasing to the eyes as well."

"Wha-I..." 

Logan smirked as Virgil became speechless causing the other to clamp his mouth shut. "I just wonder why someone who never stepped out of line would take such a big risk, so I've come to find out for myself."

Logan pulled back a bit and Virgil could feel his brain screaming at him. He blinked a few times before snapping out of it. "So you ask to marry me as soon as you see me?"

"I'm an intelligent man myself, Prince Virgil. Perhaps just Virgil now, since we are betrothed?" Logan smirked more and Virgil hated how much he enjoyed the coy smile on Logan's face. "It took one look to see what everything I've read and heard about you came down to, and I was impressed. I'm sure we will grow rather close in the coming years."

"So that's it?" Virgil muttered out. "I don't get a say?"

"Would you like to have one?" Logan asked. He lifted his hand and showed a ring on his finger. "I feel like you already had your say."

"Is... that the ring I sent? Why would you wear that? It's just supposed to be a peace offering gift of good will!"

"It was, true." Logan dropped his hand and smiled back. "Now it is my engagement ring, delivered from my fiancee himself."

Virgil's head swam as his head felt light. Logan raced forward and caught Virgil before he fell over, on the border of consciousness. Logan chuckled and picked him up, placing him carefully on his bed. "Fainting before we could even get to know one another better? I'll have to forgive you this time."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You all wanted a little more so I was able to come up with one more chapter, but this is it!
> 
> Take your fluff and enjoy. <3

The prince had long laid down his brush as the painting in front of him dried. He claimed it had been finished, at least to the best of his abilities. He noticed every wrong stroke, every blurred line, every splatter of paint where it shouldn't be. Of course, the second he left this room for it to dry as he always did with his finished paintings, a servant would check on it and inform his father. It would be placed on a wall so that his father could brag about his talented son, and have it mock him every time he passed by. Until then, the painting was helping him not think as he stared it down, letting his thoughts get lost into nothingness. 

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but in a moment it had passed as he felt his body ache with the need to move. He stood up and left it there, knowing that covering it to work on it another day would be pointless. Leaving it to dry, he knew it would be gone by the next day.

The problem with leaving the thing that was distracting you was the fact that all the thoughts you tried to avoid came rushing back. He caught himself from making a face at the idea of his new marriage, although he was sure no one was around to catch him if he did he could never be sure. Prince Logan had left a few days before to make the trip back with his ex-soon-to-be to apologize for the inconvenience in person. No one was dimwitted enough to turn down Prince Logan despite the fact that all he would be doing is taking everything they had planned last minute from underneath them. Virgil was supposed to be getting married in just over a month, now he had to start the planning all over again from the beginning. Unfortunately, that also included all the meetings and social gatherings that came with it since it was a completely different marriage.

Virgil turned down the hall to his room, eager to make it inside where he would be alone to scoff at the idea of marrying a prince like Logan. A prince that had everything handed to him if he asked or demanded it, including his choice of bride or groom it seems. Virgil wondered if he had decided to visit just a bit too soon if he would demand their marriage to be broken up so he could still have him. He was sure the princess would have apologized for taking Virgil's hand in the first place if that were the case. 

Logan's country was just a bit too powerful at times it seemed.

He entered his room and shut the door before letting out a long sigh and dropping his posture for but a moment. He was sure if anyone had seen he would have been scolded but he had spent his days waiting for his betrothed to return before they could restart all the plans so he was stuck doing as he wished for a few days.

If Virgil could choose, he would have chosen to visit Patton or even Roman. Logan had mentioned them and there had been enough time from when he sent the letter out to when Logan had arrived that he could have visited the others. Virgil wondered what the others thought of him and what questions he had asked. He knew Patton loved everyone but had Roman disliked the prince? Would he forbid Virgil from seeing them if he did not like how they had acted around him? What would being married to Logan even be like?

He had only a few months to get used to the idea of marriage and fell into the place he thought he would be with the princess, but now he was back at square one and had no idea what kind of person Prince Logan even was.

Well, he had some idea. The country to the north prided themselves in their literature and education and their natural borders provided good defense so they built a strong army on top of that. To invade them would be a death sentence and to upset them would bring you nothing but ruin. They were smart enough to not need their militia but strong enough that it did not matter. It had been that way for as long as Virgil could remember, which just upset him further. What kind of king would Logan be, then? 

A knock on his door which he reflexively allowed entry to let a servant into his quarters. "We have received word that Prince Logan will be returning shortly."

"Of course, thank you." The door clicked shut and Virgil decided to take his last moments of freedom in peace.

When Logan had returned, he made sure he was at the entrance to greet the prince back from his journey. He went through all the motions he had been taught while a bit on edge and he was sure Logan's watchful eye had noticed. He followed and asked a few questions he felt were necessary but only received short responses. How did it go? How did they take the news? Was the gift enough? Did they seem upset?

The prince was met with one-word answers and stopped as Logan entered his hall where his chambers resided. It took a few feet before Logan stopped and turned around, causing Virgil to act quickly as to not bump into him. 

"Is there something the matter?" Logan stayed silent for a moment, staring Virgil down almost with a glare. He started to grow uncomfortable and shifted on his feet before throwing a glare back. "Is there something you need help with, your highness?" Virgil almost snapped back, catching himself right before he did. To his surprise, the other prince smirked and turned, continuing down the hall. "Do you wish me to accompany you further or shall I dismiss myself?"

Logan stopped once more and turned completely this time. "What do you wish to do?"

Surprised at his response, Virgil stopped and thought about it for a moment. He could retreat back to his room but he'd just think about this conversation the whole time. On the other hand, he could attempt to talk to the cold prince and get to know the man who threw him into a new marriage.

He looked up, surprised at Logan's patience as he had made no effort to move and held no sign of annoyance. "If you have the time, perhaps we could talk a bit before supper is served?"

"Are you asking me what you want or telling me?"

"T-telling!" He cleared his throat uncomfortably but kept his gaze firm. "I think it's best we start getting to know each other better. However, you have just returned from your travels and it may be best we do this another day." 

Logan smiled, to his surprise, and turned back down the hall. "Come along, then."

Virgil had to catch up, his brain still trying to process exactly what had happened as they made it to Logan's temporary quarters. He opened his door and motioned for Virgil to walk in first. Virgil gave a quiet thanks as he entered, finding nothing of interest in the room as he glanced around. His luggage he traveled with lay at the base of his bed but the room was bare otherwise. Virgil turned and watched Logan carefully sit in a chair, letting out a sigh of relief as he did so. "If you are tired, we have plenty of time to-"

"Are you backing out?" Logan looked up, eyebrow cocked and expression teasing him. 

"I'm trying to be courteous but you are making it rather difficult." Virgil turned away, choosing to look at anything else other than the prince across the room. 

He could hear Logan chuckle quietly to himself. "See, this is why I chose you."

Virgil could not have spun around fast enough, surprise on his face. "What?"

"Come now, Virgil." Logan leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. "Do you think one simple letter was enough to make me decide to run off and marry you?"

"Well, I..." Virgil felt uncomfortable under the other's piercing sight. "I suppose not but I don't know why else..."

Logan hummed in amusement. "You don't know why else I would have chosen you? Well, I will admit I wrote you off before the letter, but you surprised me." Virgil hunched over a bit and glanced away, stealing looks at Logan from time to time. "You seem to follow the rules and do as your told. You follow protocol at all times. Even just now when I returned, it was as if you were reading what to do from a book and following along."

"I get nervous sometimes." Virgil shrugged and turned away. "When I do I fall back on what I was taught and go through the motions."

"Ahh, but I'm interested in what you do when you don't." Logan got up and walked over to Virgil, placing a hand on his shoulder and grabbing his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "You get defiant and stand up for yourself. You talk back and get this spark in your eyes. When you're so assured of what you want, that is the man I would like to get to know."

Virgil's face grew red as he pushed Logan away, taking a few steps back to gain some distance. "That's not me!"

"Oh, on the contrary. I believe that is when you are the most yourself. I see that as the true you shining through." Logan placed his hands behind his back, asserting his full height over Virgil. "See, the benefit of being so powerful is that I can act any way I want and no one will complain out of fear." He took a step closer to Virgil, causing the other one to take a step back in retreat. Logan stopped, not wanting to scare the other. "This will now apply to you. Talkback, be yourself, stand up for your ideas. Who will tell you no now?"

"But that's..." Virgil frowned as the thought settled in. It sounded... nice. Having to think through everything over and over before even being able to speak... having his ideas shot down before he could even say a word... People actually listening and respecting him not for just what he is but who he is? "Is that really how you live?"

Logan turned and walked back, pacing his room. "People see my father and me as cold-hearted people. The truth is we must be that way for all the kingdoms look to us." He turned and looked at Virgil. "I knew whoever I chose would be free of those restrictions. Anything you do that may be deemed improper will be written off because you were not raised that way. I wanted someone who would stick up for themselves." He smiled a bit and adjusted the spectacles on his face. "I wanted someone who would give me ideas but who would also call me out on my behavior."

"You can talk a bit too much sometimes."

"I never thought I'd be glad to hear someone say that." Logan approached the quiet prince slowly once more, stopping just a foot away. "Now that you know, what will you do?"

Virgil felt his jaw move but no words came out. He kept his gaze lowered as a few thoughts raced through his mind. He spared a glance up at Logan before freezing completely. Logan, for the first time since he had met him, seemed a bit uneasy. Virgil had realized he had just bared more of his soul than he probably had in a while and gave Virgil full reign to respond any way he felt. 

He cleared his throat, stood up tall and looked up at the prince. "Well, Logan, I guess I only have this to say." He smirked a bit, feeling more confident then he had in a while. "If you want the true me as you call it, you can't regret getting what you ask for later."

Logan seemed to ease at those words. "I suppose I will have to come to terms with that."

\---

The next few days brought more surprises then Virgil was prepared for. Today was following his normal schedule as it usually had. He was woken up early as usual, but things started to quickly deviate from the norm. After breakfast was served, Logan had called and requested his presence. His mind raced back to the night a few days before, recalling the conversation they had and how much more comfortable Virgil felt around him afterward. Sure, opening up would take time but Logan assured that he was positive about his choice in choosing Virgil and things would work out. 

He knocked on Logan's bedroom door before opening after being called in. Logan was standing at a table to the side, a paint easel in front of him as he faced the door. Virgil watched as he inspected whatever was in front of him, hand on his chin and eyes squinted as he inspected the painting before him. He glanced up and Virgil felt his heart flutter a bit as Logan smirked back at him as he felt more at ease.

"Virgil, perfect. Before we get started, I wanted to ask you something." Logan motioned to the painting in front of him. Virgil walked over to see exactly what it was before he froze. "I was informed you worked on this while I was away."

"H-how did you get this?" Virgil took a slow step closer, eyes still on his painting. 

"I inquired about how you kept yourself busy and they mentioned a painting. Of course, I simply had to see it and had it brought to me." He turned and his smile still held on his face. "I never truly understood the arts, something Prince Roman and I usually exchange words about. His kingdom's greatest export is of the arts but I just don't quite understand it. However, this is much different than I usually see, less use of color and darker shadows than I normally see. It's quite interesting and a bit pleasing to the eyes, though not without its faults."

"It's really not..."

"Nonsense." Logan walked up to the painting and carefully picked it up. "I believe for the remainder of my stay, it shall remain here."

"What? No!" Virgil shouted, surprising even himself. "I mean, you don't want it here, it's really not that great."

"You've painted the other pieces that hang around the castle walls." Logan lowered the painting and looked over at Virgil. "I recognize the similarity in style. Are you ashamed of those ones as well?" Virgil felt that becoming a stammering, speechless mess in front of Logan was going to be a bad habit he needed to work his way through. "Would it not be best to keep it in here then? One last piece your father can use to praise you like a prize stallion."

"It's not that bad..."

"If it makes you uncomfortable then I will get rid of the painting altogether."

"Wait!" Virgil stopped himself, hand reaching out towards the other. He pulled it back and let out a sigh. "It's okay if you want to keep it in here, I guess." He looked over at Logan who had that expression Virgil had learned all too well too quickly. Virgil was being passive and not expressing his true feelings, a habit Logan promised to knock him of. "I mean, I'd rather you keep it. I kind of... painted it for you anyway." Virgil started to mumble to himself, looking away embarrassed. 

"Well, that is very kind of you to say." Virgil glanced up and he felt his heart skip. Logan was inspecting the painting as if seeing it for the first time all over, the biggest smile he had seen so far on his face and perhaps the slightest bit of a blush across his cheeks. "I shall treasure it always." He placed it back down gently and turned toward Virgil. "Now then. I suppose we have some wedding plans to discuss?"

"Right!" Virgil walked over to the door. "I have all my previous planning in my study if you want to see it."

"Of course. You probably have a lot we can pick through. At the very least an outline to work with."

Virgil led Logan around to his private section of the castle, his heart still racing as he did so. He started questioning his actions around the other, but no one had given him this much care for what he wanted and felt before. Besides Patton and on occasion Roman of course.

He entered his study and walked over to the old oaken desk, pulling out papers and setting them in piles on top. "Okay, that was invites and guests. This one is the color theme. This entire pile is just flowers based on which areas. That one is all about the food, what it is, where we were getting it from deliveries to the shops." Virgil placed a hand on one of the bigger stacks. "This is nothing but alcohol." He patted it a bit and took a step back, motioning for Logan to dig through.

The other picked up one of the first piles and leafed through it. "Well, this is organized rather well. Subsections of categories and quite detailed on top of all that."

"Yeah, well. I didn't want to lose anything."

Virgil felt a bit self-conscious as Logan flipped through a few pages, his frown growing with each new page. "Virgil, there is one thing inconsistent throughout all of this."

"There is?" Virgil walked up and eyed the page Logan was glancing at carefully. "Did I miss something?"

"Quite the opposite." Logan flipped a few more pages before stopping, looking back up. "I may have only known you for a few days but it doesn't seem like you have any input on anything. Were any of these your ideas?"

"Of course!" Virgil reached over and grabbed a small pile. "I worked on this completely alone. As for everything else, it was causing fights and I just... didn't care as much I guess. It was easier to just agree and focus on keeping everything running as smooth as it could."

"Well. Then this is all garbage." Logan put the stack of papers on the desk. "Such a shame, but I'd rather this be an equal agreement then me simply tell you what we will be doing."

"It wasn't that bad." Virgil flipped through a few pages to distract himself. "It was simply easier to agree then to fight for something so meaningless."

Logan leaned over and placed his hand on Virgil's grabbing it and pulling it away. "Prince Virgil." The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he looked up at the man. "If you at any time feel like this marriage would only be detrimental to you, your health, and your kingdom, I will back away. You were my first choice and I would like to see it through, but this is a lifelong commitment. If you don't feel comfortable, tell me now."

Virgil blinked and pushed Logan back, turning away completely. He paced a bit and gathered himself, taking in a few breaths. Virgil's expressions seemed to turn from worry to rage before he finally stopped, his back to the other. He then turned, glaring up at Logan, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Listen well and answer me truthfully or I don't care who you are, I will have your tongue!" He sneered and Logan stumbled back a step, shocked at the change in mood. "Tell me these are your honest feelings and this is not a ploy. Tell me honestly that you chose me and you're not just toying around with me. Swear on your crown, your kingdom, your royal blood! Swear, Prince Logan or I will personally make sure you never step foot in my kingdom again!"

Logan was silent, watching Virgil with a flushed face and leaning away from the other. Despite the setting, Virgil never backed down, keeping close and never letting his sneer drop even a little bit. Logan nodded, causing Virgil to lean back just a bit. "Of course." 

Virgil's days fell into a completely different pattern after that. He would awake and the other prince always seemed to be up and ready, waiting for him though never impatiently and never in any rush. They would talk about simple and mundane things before easing into the topic of weddings. Despite months of wedding talk, it still settled uneasily on Virgil's shoulders when people spoke about it. The other prince offered a few distractions before moving onto that topic when Virgil was more awake and prepared for the change in topic. They spent their mornings and evenings sharing little things, talking stories of their childhoods to get to know one another better.

Logan told stories of the mountains rich in minerals and the beautiful rolling hills of his land. Virgil found himself eager to go see them but not in any rush. They had discussed it and it was unanimous--once they were wed Virgil would move to Logan's castle. It made the most sense in many ways but the move out of familiar territory was unsettling. Logan offered to hold the wedding at his castle as a sort of farewell all in one, quickly learning that the fewer social gatherings the better. Virgil handled himself well as long as he didn't push it. He would also be visiting his new home a few times before the move, but the travel was strenuous so Prince Logan offered to hold off until more preparations had been made.

While Virgil had been through the meetings before, he found himself more attentive during them a second time. Logan refused to make a single final agreement on anything without his say. While flattering, it also would get on his nerves over simple things he just didn't seem to care about. If he had a say, it would be a small gathering and the party would not even involve him. Alas, as a prince, the entire kingdom would break out into celebration, probably for a multitude of days.

Logan was discussing the matter of flowers and flora since the seasons for the ones Virgil had previously agreed on would not be in bloom for his new wedding day when a servant came up to Logan and bowed deeply. He stood, eyeing the prince before turning to Virgil himself. "Your Majesties, your guests have announced their arrival and shall be upon the gates soon."

Virgil, baffled by the news, didn't hide his confusion. "Which guests would these be? I do not recall inviting anyone."

Logan cleared his throat and grabbed his attention. "That would be me. I hope you do not mind, but I invited someone for the next week." He turned to the messenger. "We shall be there shortly. You are dismissed."

The guard gave a quick bow and briskly walked out the door. The second he had vanished, Virgil had turned to the other, not caring they were not alone in the room. "You can't choose the color of the napkins without my say and yet you invite someone to my home without even telling me?" He snapped, voice low as he glared down the other.

Logan seemed unaffected by this and turned towards the door. "Come, we shall greet our guests and talk about this in private. No need to make a spectacle for the staff to gossip about."

Virgil glanced at the florist they had just been talking to out of the corner of his eye before pouting and walking after the other. He quickly caught up and matched pace with Logan who seemed eager to get to the gate. "Wait!" Virgil cut him off and halted him in the middle of the hall. "I need warning about who I'm about to meet. I have to mentally prepare for this type of thing! I'm not a very social person!"

Logan walked around him, not bothered by the interruption. "You will be fine, Virgil."

He huffed and jogged up, matching pace once more. "Who did you invite? Is it someone important?" Virgil let out a small gasp. "It wasn't your father, was it? Logan! Tell me, was it?"

They rounded the corner of the stairs and Logan quickly made his way down, heading for the door that led to the front gates. Virgil took a moment to steel himself and walk down the stairs, meeting Logan outside the doorway. They stood side by side as a carriage pulled up, ornate and much too elaborate for any noble. 

Virgil watched the carriage curiously before he glanced at Logan. "Wait, no. You didn't."

"Pay attention, Virgil. We have a guest to greet. Or, well, two guests I should say."

The carriage doors opened and out came Prince Roman. He smiled and turned, reaching a hand up and helping Prince Patton take a step down. They smiled at one another and turned towards the stairs and looked up at the others. Despite Virgil's shock, he smirked and watched as the two suddenly realized they were still holding each other's hands and quickly pulled away as if nothing had happened.

"Prince Patton, Prince Roman," Logan spoke as Virgil's smile grew wider. "We welcome you to our home. I hope your travels were safe?"

"Our?" Roman raised an eyebrow and looked over at Virgil who seemed to snap out of it. 

"It is always a pleasure." Virgil turned towards the door, eager to be out of the watchful eye of the people and inside with his close friends. "Please, we have much to discuss."

Virgil was surprised he had managed to keep himself calm until they arrived at their living quarters before turning around and breaking out into smiles. Before he could get a word out, Patton jumped up and pulled him into a hug. "Oh my goodness I have so much to talk to you about!" He pulled away and turned towards Roman who stepped up and took his hand.

"Well, I must say. I know we've had our differences but I must give my thanks." Roman dropped his hand and smiled at Patton. "I hear tell that you convinced Patton to admit to his feelings which I had been previously oblivious to."

"I do not understand how." Logan stepped in. "You both were quite apparent about your feelings for one another. I guess it is as the saying goes. 'Love is blind'."

Roman's smile fell as he turned towards Logan. "Oh, and I guess I should thank you for inviting us." He huffed and crossed his arms. "The letter was a nice thought."

"Could you explain that?" Virgil spoke up, looking at his two friends. "I had only just learned of your arrival when it was announced, I had no idea you were visiting."

Patton jumped up and clapped his hands. "It was so nice! Prince Logan visited us a few months back about wanting to choose a person to marry. He had asked about a few others and we had no idea he had any real interest in you until we received the announcements!"

Virgil turned to Logan at the news and watched him carefully. "You asked about others, not just me?"

"I told you I was looking into the best possible choice." Logan kept his gaze away, not wanting to meet the other's eyes. "I also said you were my top choice, although I am willing to admit I mostly asked the others to avoid suspicion."

"We received letters soon after inviting us to meet up and join you here for a week." Roman stepped in to change the topic seeing as it was making Virgil uncomfortable. "He wrote about how you must be under duress due to the change in plans and could use some familiar company." Roman turned to Logan and glared him down a bit. "Somehow he knew we would be together although I'm not sure how. We haven't even announced it yet."

Virgil perked up at the news. "Please tell me you finally..." Patton giggled to himself and turned to Roman. The other smiled and reached out, grabbing Patton's hand and planting a firm kiss on it. Virgil let out a loud sigh and turned around. "Finally! Years of hard work have paid off!" Virgil turned and caught Logan's gaze watching him with amusement. He stopped and cleared his throat before stepping a bit closer. "I suppose I owe you a bit of thanks. Though I do wish you had warned me beforehand..." he looked over at the others. "This was a nice gesture, thank you."

"N'awww." Patton laced his fingers together and held it against his cheek. "That is so sweet!" He turned to Roman and nudged him gently. "See, I told you! You just needed to give him a chance!"

Roman huffed and stared down Logan with a watchful eye. "That changes nothing. It has yet to be seen that he deserves our precious delicate flower." He held up a hand and cut Virgil off from his protests. "He can handle himself, yes, but if either of us hears you stepped out of line for just a moment..."

"Is that a threat, your majesty?" Logan taunted, amused at the behavior presented towards him. 

Roman huffed dramatically but a smile started to break through. "Keep him happy, that's all I ask." He turned and looked at Virgil. "Which I must say, he seems pretty at ease all things considered."

"Shut it, you're thinking too much about nothing." Virgil turned away from the others. "Now, let me use this as an excuse to get out of talking about flowers for the rest of the day, shall we?"

"You love flowers!" Patton cried out. "You're always in your garden asking questions!"

"I love helping them grow, not matching them to the curtains, Patton," Virgil grumbled out.

"Well, as interested as I am in continuing our plans, I must agree." Logan caught everyone's attention as he walked toward the door. "How about we take a walk in these gardens I've somehow yet to see as we all get to know one another better?" He opened the door and held it open for the others. "You will be visiting us at our castle in the future and a good friendship starts with a good foundation. I would rather not start out on a bad note."

Patton walked up first, grabbing Roman's hand and pulling him along. "I have a feeling we'll get along just great!"

Roman scoffed as he walked passed Logan, glaring him down as he did so. Logan turned to Virgil with a smile before turning to the others. "Of course, but if we got along poorly, that will make our visits to you just as awkward, especially your wedding once the time has come."

Virgil couldn't help but laugh as the other two stopped and became blubbering messes, holding onto his sides and laughing so hard tears formed in his eyes. He looked up at Logan who seemed all too proud of himself at the comment, still waiting for Virgil in the doorway. He smiled, suddenly not as anxious about the thought of marriage as he once was.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr! ResidentAnchor


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